Shadowstar was itching for some battles.

She knew that was NOT the ideal way for someone fighting on the forces of good should think, but she couldn’t help it. She’d been tuning down her instincts the entire trip, trying so hard not to slash at anything that came near. Having her friend hurt by her own father was the last stretch.

Shadowstar didn’t know what it was like to have a father. She could tell that Pyrite wasn't used to it, either. But now that he was back, and he’d shunned his family, Pyrite was even worse off than before.

CloudWing and the other dragons looked at her, and she had a flash of an image in her mind—a choice. She could stay and tell them what happened, but then Pyrite would be even more broken than she was already, and that didn’t turn out well for the group. Shadowstar saw Jade get depressed, and it all went downhill from there. So she merely waved at CloudWing before motioning her head towards where Pyrite had gone before walking in that direction.

“Pyrite?” she called softly, gazing at the dark forest. Her night vision activated itself, and she saw a huddled figure on a rock. She could shadow run there, but it would be a waste of energy.

She hadn’t known that she’d had that power, although she knew other StarDragons did. She’d always assumed that she was a dud, a dragon without powers. Razortail had suggested that her powers were just starting to mature.

They’d figured it out when Shadowstar had said, “I wish I could find Alex right now,” and she’d teleported to him through the shadows. But Shadowstar hadn’t explained it to the others yet—that she could almost communicate with the shadows. It wasn’t a direct teleportation—she had to ask the shadows for passage.

Shadowstar padded up to Pyrite and sat down. She knew there was nothing she could say or do to make things better. She just had to keep her friend company.

Finally, after a long companionable silence, Pyrite spoke. “I never thought that He might be alive.”

Shadowstar ducked her head.

“I mean, I’d daydreamed about it. I’d considered the possibility. I thought that maybe, when this war is over and everything settled down, that I’d go look for him. But now I get to tell my mother that her husband left her and didn’t even care. What will that do to her?

“Or maybe I could lie. I could tell my mother that he is dead, that I found no sight of him. I could leave it all behind, even. I don’t even have to go back to the Caves. But then will everyone think I’m dead? Will the Elders shut down all outside access, saying that because five children ‘died’, it’s too dangerous? What will that do to my community? Should I care about them?”

Shadowstar looked into the future. She saw many futures, spiraling and crisscrossing, like a mixture of star constellations all going in one direction. Some of them deviated from one another, and others disappeared into a black void. She saw a future where Zaerux roamed free, destroying everyone and anything in her path. She saw futures where Pyrite died or ran away. She saw visions where CloudWing died, or Jade died, or any of them died. She saw it all, and more.

But one future shone brightly to her. It stood out. It was full of tragedy and joy, love and hatred, secrets and proclamations. But she lived, and CloudWing lived, and her best friend—the human sitting next to her, pouring her heart out—was alive. And she was happy. Shadowstar saw an expression of pure joy on her face, and it was so different than what she saw now, what she’d seen ever since she’d met her. There were no traces of anger on her face, and—now that Shadowstar looked—neither did the others look that way. There were downsides, of course. Enemies that would never forgive. But that was okay. Everything was okay.

A tear traced its way down Shadowstar’s cheek as she returned to the present. It would take hard work to get that future—but now she knew her goal.

“Pyrite,” she said softly. “You need to forgive.”

Stolen novel; please report.

Pyrite looked her in the eye, her breath catching. They were puffy and red, and tears fell down her eyes. But Shadowstar saw a rainbow in each one.

“How?” she asked, her voice hardening.

“Look,” Shadowstar said. “I don’t care if you want to punch something. I do too. But sometimes choosing the easy way isn’t the right way. Your father cares about you, Pyrite. I could tell. But maybe he found a new family.”

Pyrite sighed shakily.

“It starts by wishing him well,” Shadowstar said. “You have a new family as well. Us. Me. We’ll take care of you. I think your father wanted to give you a chance. What are the brightest things about not having your father?”

Pyrite stared at the nearest tree for a moment. “If he hadn’t of left,” Pyrite said slowly, “I wouldn't have met Sapphire, Turquoise, and Jade. I would have gone to a different school, maybe bonded with a CrystalDragon.” She looked at Shadowstar. “Which means I wouldn’t have met you.”

“And there would be no one stopping Zaerux,” Shadowstar added.

Pyrite wiped her tears away, nodding. “Thank you.”

Shadowstar smiled. Inwardly, she congratulated herself—one step taken.

But how many more steps must be taken?

“Come on,” Shadowstar urged. “Let’s go back to the others.”

----------------------------------------

They returned to find Turquoise explaining animatedly to the others about their little side adventure. Shadowstar winced at all the cursing (since most of it involved the existence of seals, I’m afraid I can’t tell you the specifics); she wasn’t used to any swearing in her home.

“And then I whapped his butt,” she finished, “and Shadowstar teleported Pyrite away.”

Jade frowned, then glanced at Pyrite and stood up, smiling again. “Hey!”

“We heard what happened,” Andy said sympathetically. “I’m sorry.”

“I don't need your sympathy,” Pyrite said stiffly.

Shadowstar glanced at her. Uh oh. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

Alex frowned. “We just—”

“It’s my business,” Pyrite snapped. The others looked taken aback.

Shadowstar grinned nervously at the others, then placed a talon on Pyrite’s shoulder. “She just needs some sleep. Come on.”

CloudWing looked at her worriedly, but she reassured him with a more genuine smile. Jade stared after Pyrite, his brow furrowed.

Shadowstar made a soft bed of grass for Pyrite, and then instructed that she lay on it. When she was settled in, Shadowstar returned to the campfire, sighing.

“What was that about?” Tanzanite asked.

“I think the interaction with her father really rattled her up,” Shadowstar replied. “I had her forgive him, but I guess some grudges are harder to get over than with just a simple apology.”

“I wonder why she feels like that,” Sapphire murmured. “I would enjoy seeing my father if I had lost him for most of my life.”

“But remember, Jasper being alive means that he never went looking for them,” Erinite pointed out. “I would be angry with him, too.”

“And now she’s channeling her anger on us?” Jade asked miserably.

“Hey, it’s not your fault,” Andy said. “Maybe we could just not talk about it to her?”

“She should be angry!” Turquoise said loudly. “We should all be angry! I’m angry too! Those StealthDragons need to go down! CaveDragons, too!”

Aether nodded appreciatively. “I’M with the angry screaming blond maniac,” she said. “Let’s go KICK some STEALTHDRAGON BOOTY!”

“Wait, what?” Turquoise said.

“But we have to find the Legends first,” Lotus reminded everyone. “According to the map, we have to find the Great Whirlpool.”

“And then what?” Razortail said. “Send Alastor down as a fish embassy?”

“OI!” Alastor protested from Alex’s shoulder.

“That’s true,” Pathtalon pondered. “None of us can breathe underwater.”

“I could construct a wind shield,” CloudWing offered. “Erinite and Tanzanite could create a wall of crystals. Together we have a moving air pocket.”

Shadowstar looked into the future, searching their different options. “That works.”

“Really?” CloudWing asked. Everyone turned to her, but she didn't mind the attention.

“Yep,” Shadowstar clarified.

“You can see that?” Razortail said, clearly fascinated.

Shadowstar nodded.

“What about food?” Alex butted in. “We can’t bring food underwater.”

“I can fit it in my satchel,” Sapphire comforted.

“Sounds like we’ve got everything all planned out,” Andy said. “I’m going to get some sleep.”

They all adjourned and lay down on their beds of grass. Shadowstar decided to lay next to Pyrite, in order to keep an eye on her. Because of Shadowstar’s nocturnality, she wouldn’t be getting sleep for a while.

Oh, I hope this all works out, Shadowstar thought.